Method and apparatus for finishing surfaces of hollow metal ware



. March 26, 1.929.

A. L. FABENS METHOD AND APPARATUS FO FINISHING SURFACES OF HLLOW METAL WARE Filied Jan. 25, 1926 6 n Eu/672765. F7/MKM@ Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNVIED STATES `1,706,877 PATENTY OFFICE.

ANDREW L. FABnNs, Or'woosfrnn, Onto, AssieNoia To Tian BUOKEYE ALUMINUM COMPANY, or woos'rnn, OL-no, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

METHOD AND APPARATUS ron; FINIsHING- sUarAous or HOLLOW METAL WADE.

Application filed January 25, 1926. Serial No. 83,449.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for finishing surfaces of articles of hollow metal ware,V particularly cooking utensils, to produce a smooth and hardened surface. l Y

The present invention is an improvement over the method disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 40,123, liled June27, 1925, andhas among its objects to provide a method by which the lengthof time necessary forthe finishing` operation is shortened and by which a more perfect polish is inn- `partedto the surfaces treated. V

In a general way the method comprises the mountingof a hollow ware article on a suitable support in such a manner that it may be continuously rotated and to confine in contact with the surface or surfaces to be finished, a mass of steel balls of different sizes which, when the article is rotated, tumble and roll upon the surface against Which the balls bear acting to condense and harden the surface against which the balls bear and at the same time produce aV uni formly bright and attractive polished surface. In addition a stream of hot cleansing liquid is passed through the mass of balls throughout the entire polishingl operation in order to wash the surface thoroughly clean and to carry away any particles of scale or` foreign matter so that a highly polished surface may be produced in a minimum time by the action of the balls .rolling upon said surface. j

Theuseof small balls in combination with large ones has the effect of separating the larger` balls so that they` cannot form a regular arrangementowing to the fact that the balls would tend tolremain in a regular formation and produce lines or grooves. The cleansing liquid is preferably a suitable solution of a burnishing soap and the article is rotated at a relatively high speed,

the finishing operation being performed in approximately ten minutes.

A further obyect of the invention is `to provide apparatus by means of which the method may be performed effectively and at a small cost for'ilabor and material.

A further object is to provide devices for holding and rotating the hollow `ware articles `which are so designed as to auto* matically accommodate articles .of various sizes.v y i A further object is to provide means for continuously delivering a clean cleansing liquid to the interior of each hollow ware article beingl treated and to reclaim and fil ter the liquid after it has been passed through the balls acting upon the surface of an article. y y i A further object is to provide means` by which the articles may be securely held and rapidly rotated without danger of distorting or mari-ing the articles.

A further Object `is to provide holding means such that the` removal `and replacement of holders is facilitated.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention may be said to comprise the method and apparatus as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly setlforth in the appended claims togetherwith suchvariations and modificationsthereof as'will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the in vention appertains. V

Reference should be had to the accom panying` drawings forming a part of this specification in which Fig. l is a side elcvation partially in section showing one of the article rotating and holding devices, and also showinga part of the circulatory system by which `the cleaning liquid is supplied tothe articles being treated; Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing a series of article rotating devices, thetroughs for collecting cleansing liquid dripping from the articles and the means `for circulating' the cleansing liquid; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the mounting of the retractible*clamping chuck on its shaft.

Referring to the accompanying drawings it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the article holding androtating devices are arranged in` rows, the rotation being imparted to each holder lthrough a hollow `hori` zontal shaft l journaled in Xed bearings 2 and driven by 'suitable driving pulleys 3 fixed thereto and operatedby a suitable belt from Va power shaft. The shafts l are arranged side by side in parallel relation and each is provided with a clamping chuck in its Outer end, each of these vchucks `consist-` ing` of a suitable metal disk 4 which is fixed to the outer end ofa shaft. l and a conical outwardly fiaring sheet metal clamping member 5 which has a rubber facing 6 upon its interior surface. p

Means is provided for releasably clamping the hollow ware articles with the open tops thereof engaged upon the interior of the conical engaging members in such amanner that the hollow ware articles are caused to rotate with the shaft 1. The releasable clamping mechanism for each of the chucks on the shafts 1 is mounted upon a fixed support 7 which is spaced outwardly from the outer end of the shaft, the clamping means being carried by a bracket 8 pivotally connected by means of a hinge 9 to the upper end of the support 7. The bracket 8V is adapted'to be supported in upright position upon the to'p'of the support 7, the hinge 9 being connected to the` outer sides of the bracket and support, and when in this upright position. the bracket may be releasably locked byy means of a pin 10 which is slidably Vsupported in the base of the bracket 8 and is adapted to entera recess or socket in the upper endof the support" 7. At its upper end the bracket8 hasa bearing portion 11 in which is slidablyV mounted a horizontal shaft 1 2 vwhich is in axial alignment with Vthe adJacent shaft 1.

The' shaft 12 has a coll'arl?) adjustably secured thereto by means ofaA set screw 14, and a coil spring` 15 is interposed between the collar 13 and the @bearing portion ll ofthe bracket, the spring 1 5 acting to yieldably press the shaft 12 towards' the shaft 1. The shaft 12 at its inner end has'rotatably mounted thereona chuck `which cooperates with the chuck on the outer endl ofthe shaft 1, and this chuck con- "sists of ay flat wooden disk 16 which is faced on its innersidewith a suitable piece of fab- Vric 17. For 'rotatably securing'th'e disk 16 to the shaft 12 vthere is a metal bearing member 18 attached to the rear face of the disk and4v t-he shaft 12 isV provided with a reduced end portion 19 which extends into the bearing -member 18. VThe bearing member is retained on the reduced portion 19 ofthe shaft by means ofra 4screw 20 which has its head lying within a recess in the inner face of the bearing member and is screwed .into a threaded opening extending axiallyl into the reduced end oft-he shaft,` a suitableball bearing 21v being mountedinthe bearing memb'erv 18 and held in place by the shoulder at the end of the reduced'portion 19. The

' chuck 16 is lthus rotatable upon the shaft 12 andthe pressure exerted bythe springl holds the `chuck` 16 againstthe bottom of a hollow ware article 22 which is clamped between the chuck .16- andthe chuckv carried by the outer endaof the shaft 1.

`The' Vhollow ware article to vbe treated isl rstjtilled with-steel balls r28 of various sizes and'then'pla'ccd withthe open end thereof 'm engagement with the interior of the conicalchuek member V5, the`balls23 being supportedv partiallyby the hollow ware article 22 and partially by the conical chuck member 5. lilxtending beneathV each row ofrcthat the operator can scoop up the balls from the trough 24 in the hollow ware article be- 't'orc placing the same in the holder. The hollow ware article is clamped in place by swinging the bracket 8 Yto vertical position which brings the disk 16 into engagement with the bottom of the hollow ware article, the bracket 8 heilig locked in upright position by the pin 1() and the coil spring 15 exerting suiiicient pressure against the disk 16 to hold the article in place and cause 1t to rotate with the shaft 1. ln removing the article from the holder it is necessary only to remove the pin 10 and swing the disk 16 out of the way. A second hollow ware article'inay `be placed in the trough 24 immediately beneath the conical chuck member 5 to catch the balls discharged therefrom upon the release of the article clamped between the chucks.

The rapid rotation of the hollow ware article with the balls upon the interior thereof causes the irregularities upon the inner surface to be rolled down compacting the metal of such surface and imparting a smooth finish.

In order to obtain an ell'cctive hardening and polishing act-ion, it is essential that both the balls and the interior surface of the articles be perfectly clean and free from any oily mat-ter. To keep the balls and the surface of the articles being treated perfectly clean and to carry away any particles of foreign matter, means is provided for main- 'taining a How of clean hot cleansing liquid through each mass of balls during the finishing operation. This cleansing liquid is fed into the interiors of the chuck members 5 by means of pipes 25 each provided with a suitable regulating Valve 26 and connecting with a pipe line 27 which receives the cleansing liquid from an elevated tank 28 which may be heated by suitable'n'icans such as steam coils 29. The cleaning liquid within the chucks 5 and the interiors of the hollow ware articles by reason of the pressure of the liquid and the centrifugal force due to rapid rotation, escapes between the edges of the articles and the face of the chuck, the spring 15yielding sufficiently to permit a substantially uniform flow of liquid during the rotation of the articles. The cleansing liquid escaping from the interiors of the hollow ware articles drips from the mass of balls within the articles into the troughs 24 and'these troughs drain into suitable receptaclcs 30 which are connected by pipes 31 with a suitable pump 32 which delivers through a pipe 33 to a filter 34 forcing the liquid through the filter and through a pipe 35'to the tank 28. The cleansing li uid employed is thus circulated in an end ess system and reclaimed after passing through Lll] the balls acting upon the hollow war articles. By passing the liquid through the filter the supply of liquid in the tank Q8 is kept clean and it is only necessary to supply additional water and soap to replace the small amounts lost in the operation. The stream of het cleansing solution keeps the surface being acted upon and the balls acting upon said surface perfectly clean so that the-compact ing and poli shin g action of the balls is facilitated shortening the time required for imparting the finish to the surface and producing a surface having a better polish.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In appa atus of the cha `acter described, a closure member, means for clamping a hollow ware article containing a mass of relatively hard balls against said closure member with the open end of the article against said closure member, means for rotating said closure member and the hollow ware article clamped thereto and means for directing a stream of a cleansing liquid to the interior of said article.

2. In apparatus of the character described, means for supporting and rotating an article of hollow metal ware, including a closure member for the open end of said article for confining a mass of relatively hard balls within the same, and means for maintaining a flow of a cleansing` liquid through said mass of balls.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a hollow shaft, means for driving said shaft, a Vchuck fixed to said shaft at one end thereof, said chuck having an outwardly flaring peripheral portion adapted to Vreceive the open end of an article of hollow metal ware and to cooperate with said article to retain a mass of relatively hard balls in contact with the interior of said article, means for clamping said article to said chuck, and

means for delivering a stream of cleansingY liquid under pressure to the interior of said hollow article.

l. In apparatus of the character described, a series of rotatable supports, each support having means for clamping an article of hollow metal ware and for closing the open end of the article to retain a mass of balls within the same, means for rotating said supports, a pipe line having branch connections for delivering a. stream of cleansing liquid to the interior of each article, a trough extending beneath said supports for collecting cleansing fluid dripping from the articles, and means for returning the cleansing Huid from the trough tol said pipe line, and for heating the fluid.

In apparatus of the character described, a series of rotatable supports, cach support having means for clamping an article of hollow metal ware and for' closing the open end of the article to retain a mass of balls within the same, means for rotating said supports, a pipe line having branch connections for delivering a stream of cleansing liquid to the interior of each article, a trough extending beneath said supports for collecting cleansing fluid drippingr from the articles, a filter, and means for collecting the liquid from said trough, forcing the liquid through said filter, heating the liquid, and returning the same to said pipe line.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a shaft, a conical outwardly flaring chuck non-rotatably secured to the end of said shaft and adapted to receive the open top of an article of hollow metal ware, means for driving said shaft, a fixed support beyond the end of said shaft, a second shaft mounted in said support in axial alignment with the first shaft, a chuck rotatably mounted on Said second shaft and adapted to engage the bottom of an article of hollow metal ware, and means for yieldably pressing one of said chucks toward the other to clamp said article.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a driven shaft, a conical outwardly flaring chuck fixed to one end of said shaft, said chuck having its interior surface faced with rubber', a second shaft supported in axial alignment with the first, a chuck rotatably mounted upon the inner end of said second shaft, said second chuck being in the form of a flat disk faced with fabric, and means for yieldingly pressing said second chuck toward the first.

S. In apparatus of the character described, a hollow driven shaft, a conical outwardly flaring chuck fixed to an end of the driven shaft, means for clamping an article of hol low metal ware to said chuck with the open top thereof engaging the same, and a pipe extending through said hollow shaft for delivering a cleansing liquid to the interior of an article clamped to the chuck.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a driven shaft, a conical outwardly flaring `chuck fixed to an end of the driven shaft,

and means for relcasably clamping an article of hollow ware to said chuck with the open end thereof engaging the same comprising a rotatable chuck engageable with the bottom of the article, a pivotally mounted support for said chuck, means for releasably scour* ing said support in operative position, and a .Spring interposed between the second chuck and its support and acting to yieldingly press said second chuck toward the first when said support is in operative position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

'ANDREW L. FABENS. 

